EN: In the time of peace, she was hailed as an erotic dancer and loved by the most powerful men of the continent. In wartime, she was accused of being a spy and mercilessly executed by the same men. Why are we – one hundred years after her death – still not able to comprehend her mystery? In this theatrical song recital, her story is told by actor Josse De Pauw on a film screen, from the perspective of the many men in (and after) her life. Soprano Claron McFadden and pianist Claire Chevallier offer a rebuttal with music by Mata-Hari’s contemporaries and with letters from the infamous dancer herself.

PERIOD: AUGUST

The idea to organize a yearly master class arose from an assessment of the current status of early music education. Curricula and workshops devoted to ‘Early Music’ are being offered by several institutes, allowing for specialists to pass on their knowledge to a new generation of musicians. While the domain of early music – usually stretching from medieval to 18th-century – is at the center of attention, music from later era’s is usually left out. This is the domain Anima Eterna Brugge has been exploring for over 25 years. As much joy as it has given us to aggregate and internalize these skills and practices, we feel it would be at least equally gratifying to share them and pass them on to the musicians of the future.

Anyone who played the piano or harp between the late 18th and the mid 20th century probably did so on an Erard instrument. It would be hard to overestimate the importance of this brilliant builder to the development and performance of the Romantic repertoire. Founder Sébastien Erard’s one man project grew into a flourishing family business, with a branch in London as well as its Paris headquarters. Maison Erard continued trading until 1959. Erard’s innovations in piano building gave free rein to a powerful, transparent and colourful sound that enchanted and inspired composers such as Liszt, Chopin, Mendelssohn and even Wagner. Erard also made his mark on music and performance as an innovator of harp mechanics.

Six years after the Steinway170 Festival, the Concertgebouw is now turning the spotlight on Erard. Spearhead of this festival is a unique exhibition of some twenty grand pianos and harps that illustrate Erard’s innovations during the course of the 19th century. Erard and the music of his time will also be the focus of four concerts. Expert René Beaupain will be telling the story of the Erard dynasty and placing the company in the wider context. And finally, we will assess the importance of Erard to pianists, instrument restorers and today’s music lovers.

Once again, those viewing Liszt as a composer of dazzling but hollow salon pieces are in for a surprise: this recital shows him at his most profound and contrasted, presenting a selection of pieces that seem to work towards their own resolution, moving from death to birth, from hell to heaven, and from darkness to light. The performer is Claire Chevallier, an insightful French pianist who has made Brussels her home and owns half a dozen period Erards, one of which will be lugged to Flagey’s Studio 4 for the occasion. She will be joined by Belgian actor Jan Decorte, who produced a memorable staging of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas for the KlaraFestival five years ago and will this time contribute extracts from Aeschylus’ Oresteia to form a stark counterpoint to the music.

Rumour has it that this is the place to find out more about French pianist Claire Chevallier.
Rumours are mostly correct. Perhaps you also heard she has a passion for Erard fortepianos. It's true. Check her collection.
One could say she is into the arts, all arts. Well, she's an artist herself and she loves working with colleagues, in music, in theatre, in dance, in visuals arts.
Check her projects. And should you get curious, there's plenty of opportunities to see her live at work. No need to wait to enjoy her music though. It's right here. Enjoy.

AGENDA

Go to 'concerts' in the top menu to view Claire's agenda in the upcoming days, weeks and months.